


Slip-Up

by princiere



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Cute Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 22:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17150612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princiere/pseuds/princiere
Summary: It's Christmas, and Papyrus has invited you to his party! However, you decided you're tired of staying silent about yourburningcrush.





	Slip-Up

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas! happy holidays to those that dont celebrate xmas! time for the obligatory holiday fic! 
> 
> the beginning is so damn rushed _I know_ but I just,, rlly wanted that holiday fluff so excuuuse my crap writing bc it's all crap
> 
> also I'm rlly sorry bc this was originally gonna be a papy/reader fic but I remembered grillby aka my headcanoned "hopeless romantic" exists and,, my touchstarved dumbass had to do it
> 
> (this was written w/ male/transmale readers in mind but pronouns are only used like...once or twice so this should be good for most folk)

Holiday parties were never really your thing, let alone parties in general. It was already exhausting enough to endure family during the holidays, so when Papyrus invited you to his and Sans's home for a "Gyftmas" party later that same day, you honestly almost declined. You'd already felt _well_ burnt out from handling your family during Christmas morning, so the mere thought of going to another social event made you ungodly tired.

Even worse, you had to get a gift for some... _thing_ Papyrus was planning. He must've heard of Secret Santa, because he instructed to only get one gift for anyone of your choosing, as he suddenly listed off everyone that was at his house at that moment.

You were only convinced of going to this party when he listed Grillby. You waited for him to finish, before telling him, "Alright, I'll go."

"Oh, and do not label who it's for! I will do the labeling, therefore no one will be able to decipher who it's actually from! Clever, isn't it?"

You chuckled at this. "Alright, Paps."

As much as you just wanted to go home and go to bed, you figured this wouldn't be too bad. Maybe it'll be much easier and fun if it's just friends, so you accepted the invitation and headed over once you were sure your family was done with your assistance for the day. Due to the fact that your family lived on the opposite side of town from you and the skeletons, you had to drive over there, which proved to be somewhat difficult given the small layer of ice on the roads. To add to the struggle, most stores were closed due to it being Christmas Day.

But, you managed, and found something you thought your receiver would enjoy. Even better, you got a gift bag for free, so you wouldn't have to wrap it beforehand.

Just as you pulled up to the skeletons' home, you glanced over to the bag in the passenger seat, then looked to your glovebox. Knowing you kept a notebook in there, you pondered on an idea for a long moment. 

...

Screw it, you've been silent for long enough. In an act of boldness, you took the notebook out and began to scribble away, before folding up the paper and tucking it away with the gift. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice until a later time.

You finally stepped out of your car, only to realize it'd started snowing again. It was already quite dark outside, so the snow combined with the glow of streetlights and the warm light coming from the front windows of the skeletons' house... It was peaceful. As you glanced up to the sky, a small flake landed on your nose, eliciting a small giggle from you.

Stepping up to the front door, you knocked a few times. It didn't take long for someone to answer. "_____!" Papyrus grinned widely, moving to pick you up in a hug like you weighed nothing. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation! Oh, but you're so cold!"

"I was just enjoying the snow for a bit, sorry." You blushed a little at the physical contact. While these kinds of affections were nothing new coming from Papyrus, you still felt a bit bashful about it.

"Well! You're here now! Which means we can finally get started!" He finally set you down, letting you use your own feet to head to the living room with him. The moment you stepped in, however, you felt a familiar warmth envelop your skin. Given the many evenings you spent at a certain bar, that warmth was easy to recognize.

Grillby.

He was quietly sat on the floor near the fireplace, which coincidentally wasn't lit. He wasn't wearing his usual suit vest and slacks this time, going for a more casual look with dark jeans and a lightweight green sweater. Next to him was Frisk, the monster ambassador, who seemed fairly busy with a puzzle book of some kind. A present from Papyrus, you guessed. After handing your bagged gift to Papyrus, whispering to him who it was for, you approached Grillby and smiled, "Didn't think I'd see you here tonight."

It wasn't a secret that you and the fire elemental were rather close, especially since you worked for him. Even then, you didn't see him as your boss, but moreso a friend. It didn't take a genius to see he felt the same. 

His features seemed to soften a bit at your arrival. "...Neither did I. But, Sans invited me."

_Oh_ , that _voice_. It was practically a damn privilege to hear it, so you enjoyed every moment he spoke, taking in his rather husky rumbles. Smiling again, you spoke, "Guess we're in the same boat, since Pap invited me. I almost didn't come."

"Family?" He inquired, scooting over just enough to allow you to sit down.

Taking the offer immediately, you nodded. "Pretty much. Almost worked me to the point of exhaustion. But I figured being social with friends would be a lot easier than with family, and I wouldn't be judged too badly if I passed out, so here I am."

A small silence followed, save for the chatter amongst everyone else in the room. Silence between you and Grillby were nothing new though, and actually filled the majority of your conversations. He was quiet, and so were you. If anything, the silence was rather calming, as it didn't feel as though either of you were pining to say something to fill the quiet space.

Frisk left the little space, seemingly searching for Papyrus's help on one of the puzzles in their book. Once they left, Grillby admitted, "I'm glad you came."

The sentiment made you blush, but you smiled regardless. "Me too."

While everyone else chattered and went on about what they got for Gyftmas, Grillby decided to ask, "Did you receive anything from your family?"

"Yea, but it's nothing extravagant." You shrugged. "Mostly just clothes and other knickknacks. What about you?"

"About the same."

You huffed, amused. "That's family for ya."

The two of you sat there in silence again. It wasn't long before Papyrus stopped everyone's talking, announcing that it was time for Secret Santa. Your anxiety began to flutter, but you did your best to ignore it. While Papyrus handed out gifts, you glanced over at Grillby a few times, wondering just what he was thinking.

Though, it wasn't hard to notice the shock he expressed when Papyrus handed him a gift bag. It's not as though anyone was assigned someone to get a gift for, so you could only assume he thought he wouldn't get anything.

You were in the same boat, so you were obviously rather shocked as well when Papyrus handed you a box that was a bit bigger than your hand. It was wrapped so nicely that you almost felt bad about tearing it as you went to open it. The box inside wasn't a usual shipping box, but instead a smooth metal cover that you could slide off the bottom part to open.

The realization was instantaneous. Inside were several small pins, each of which varied from a cat stretching into the shape of a crescent moon, to a rainbow, to a heart wrapped with the words "please let me pet your dog", and even to a lemon with the words "slightly bitter" written on it.

Someone knew your aesthetics, _and_ your humor. You covered your mouth with the back of your free hand, trying not to laugh too hard. "Something tells me _you_ got me these." You looked over to Grillby, who was simply toying with the handles of his gift bag, his cheeks a little brighter than the rest of him. Was that a hint of blue you spotted?

"...Perhaps I did." He confessed. "You always come to work wearing a few."

You giggled some more. "Well, I like them. A lot. Thanks, Grillby."

You shut the box and tucked it away for now. "What about you?" You asked him while he began to unravel his gift. Shifting the tissue paper out of the way, he pulled out a book -- more specifically, a book he'd talked about getting, but could never seem to find when he'd look for it due to its obscurity.

"...This is..." He muttered, turning his head to you. His flames glowed a little brighter. "Did you...?"

You smiled. "They finally had it in stock when I came by today. It was pretty hidden away too, so I'm honestly impressed I found it in the first place."

Glancing back to the book, Grillby just barely smiled. Still, you caught that change as he muttered, "...Thank you."

Flushing, you looked away. "Y-Yea, it's...no problem."

 

×-♡-×

 

The rest of the evening was mostly spent mindlessly chatting with everyone else, exchanging sentiments, jokes, and the sort. Grillby seemed a bit caught up in his new book, now that some actual seats were open for him, so you decided to leave him be for now, heading to the kitchen to see if Papyrus made anything for the party.

You were also away from Grillby due to the nauseating anxiety in your stomach, but you tried to ignore it. Heavy emphasis on _tried_.

_He wasn't supposed to start reading until later!_

As you perused the fridge, you heard a familiar voice speak up. "gettin' the _hots_ for him, huh?"

"Hm?" You tilted your head at Sans's teasing.

"all the blushing, all the shy glances, the stammering," Sans went to list off how you acted earlier, "and now you're in the kitchen, staring into the fridge for...a few minutes now. you planned something, didn't ya?"

You flushed. Damnit, nothing ever got past the king of pranks, you should've known that! "I-I...uhm..." Attempting to compose yourself, you stopped to breathe. "I...may have slipped a note somewhere in the book I gave him. I-I didn't think he'd start reading it _now_ , though... Ugh, God, why did I think this was a good idea?!"

Sans burst into laughter. "oh man," He kept giggling, "that is _hilarious_. i can't _wait_ to see how this goes."

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up." You finally shut the fridge door, leaning your hand against the front of it. "I shouldn't even be that worried, that's the worst part!"

Knowing Grillby, he wouldn't make the situation uncomfortable if he didn't feel the same -- he'd just politely turn you down, in private. Sure, you'd be rather heartbroken, but at least afterwards your relationship with him won't change much. Still, to find yourself with this much anxiety over the "big reveal"...

It was embarrassing.

Sans chuckled. "you've got it bad, don't ya?"

You didn't answer, which was enough of an answer for him. "well, i can at least give ya some support." He stepped over to you, resting a hand on your back. "you'll be alright, _____. with grillbz, you don't gotta worry."

"I _know_ , but--"

You stopped when you heard the front door shut. Both you and Sans went to go see what was up, only to see that a good portion of the monsters inside were preparing to head out. Given who was gone already -- Papyrus and Frisk -- you assumed they went out to play in the fresh snow collecting outside, and nearly everyone else was preparing to join in on the fun. You let out a breath, having initially assumed the worst.

But, now it was just you, Sans, and Grillby.

The anxiety was too much now. Grillby could be just a flip of a page away from finding your note. You needed to go before that happened. "I think I'll go outside with the others." You spoke up, though unsure as to who, if anyone. "Don't have too much fun!"

You quickly shuffled into your jacket and boots, leaving the home a little quicker than you should have. Though you didn't notice your anxious behavior, Grillby did. The familiar voice drew him away from his book, and he looked to Sans in confusion once you'd left.

His question was clear. _'Is he alright?'_

Sans shrugged. "must've been really looking forward to going out in the snow again. i bet he was _really_ anticipating making a snowman."

With that, the skeleton left to join the others. Grillby didn't buy that for a second, but with a quick glance out the front window, he noticed your figure with the others and brushed it off for now. He knew very well of your anxiety issues -- perhaps Sans had a play in your change in behavior, too -- but you seemed content now, so he let it slide for the time being.

That is, until he flipped the page and noticed a small, folded piece of paper tucked away in the middle of the pages. Curious... It wasn't the same paper as a receipt -- Grillby was all too familiar with the feeling of that type of paper -- so this couldn't have been the receipt from when you bought the book. This felt more like...notebook paper.

Did someone purposely put this here? Who would put a note in a fresh--

...Well, there was _you_ , for one.

Regardless, Grillby took the note out and unfolded it, taking notice of the words written on it. So this _was_ put here on purpose. But what did you write?

_'Grillby,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't say this upfront. You know how my anxiety gets, but I can't stay silent about this anymore. I really wish I could just say it to you though, because I think you deserve such honesty._

_That being said... I feel like I've fallen in love with you. I wanted to believe it was just infatuation, but with how you showed so much care for me, listening to my rambles, helping me regardless of how little the issue is... It doesn't help that you're very kind and gentle, not just to me but to everyone until they prove themselves undeserving of such kindness._

_I adore you, to put it simply. Even if you don't feel the same, I'll still be happy if this at least flatters you.'_

Grillby tried his best to keep his flames under control, but his cheeks still flushed a bright blue, and he was sure the tips of his flames were blue as well. This couldn't be a prank, you weren't that kind of person, so... This was genuine. You were being serious, which only made his blushing worsen.

Setting the paper back in the book, he shut it and stood from his seat. He needed to step outside.

Meanwhile, you were doing your best to keep your gaze away from the home's windows, while you helped Frisk and Papyrus build a snowman. It was rather impressive, given Papyrus's previous residence in a place that was always blanketed with snow.

"You seem cold, _____!" Papyrus spoke up. "You're shaking very badly! Perhaps it is that hypothermia I've heard about! Are you dying?!"

"No, Paps, I'm alright, just--" You stopped to swallow the lump in your throat. "Just a little...anxious..."

"Anxious to see the final result? Who can blame you?!" He proudfully boasted. "Such high standards are to be expected, and such high standards will be met! You'll see!"

While Papyrus made for good distraction, you still felt the fear in your stomach. You knew Grillby was a fast reader, so you figured it was inevitable he would find the note toni--

"_____?"

You flinched when a hand rested on your shoulder. The warmth radiating from the hand alone was enough for you to recognize who it was, and your body began to shudder in a quiet panic. The hand on your shoulder squeezed you, just barely. "Relax." The deep, quiet voice said, almost chuckling. "Let's head inside, yes?"

Without a word, you glanced to Grillby, whose cheeks were a beautifully bright blue. He was also now wearing a dark peacoat, which was... _way_ too good of a look on him, _geez_ you were in deep. You noticed a hint of a smile in his features though, which caused your stomach to flip in on itself. Was this good? He seemed happy, so this was good, right?

Luckily, everyone was too focused on their snow activities to notice the exchange, so you nodded and headed back inside with Grillby. After the two of you shuffled your boots and jackets off, he stopped you just at the kitchen doorway before you could escape the confrontation, good or not.

There was an almost deafening silence as Grillby turned you to face him, and graced a thumb across your cheek. "You're freezing." He commented, carefully moving his hands to cup your face. "Does this help?"

Oh, he knew _damn_ well what he was doing, and you weren't sure if you enjoyed that or not. Sans's teasing must be rubbing off on him. Still, the gesture, combined with his possible intentions, left you severely flushing as you struggled to say something. Grillby smiled at this, moving one hand to your shoulder while using the other to take your hand in his. "I read your note."

Your free hand shifted to try to hide your face as best you could. "I-Is that so?"

"Yes." He chuckled, the flames on his head crackling and popping. "I thought it'd ease your worries to know that...I return the sentiment."

He gently peeled your hand away from your face, leaving you unable to hide your almost unhealthy amount of blushing this time. Finally looking back at his eyes, which were simply white spots behind his glasses that moved like normal eyes, you muttered, "You...You do?"

The blue on his cheeks glowed a little brighter, and his smile made his eyes squint up a little. "I do."

_God_ , he was pretty.

You swallowed, averting your gaze again. Though you attempted to say something, all that came out were giggles. "Sorry, I'm just...really happy..."

Before you could process what'd happened, Grillby moved to hug you, holding you quite tightly as one would with a teddy bear. "...Me too..." You felt him mutter against your neck. The feeling made you flush again, but you returned the hug just as tightly.

You stayed like this for a while. The silence returned, save for the muffled laughter outside, but it was quickly tuned out for the sound of Grillby's flames as they quietly crackled and danced just at your shoulder. Even with how long you've known him, you still found yourself impressed with his magic that prevented his flames from getting any hotter than just above human body temperatures. Occasionally, he'd squeeze you a little tighter, and you'd return the sentiment.

After what you were sure was a couple minutes, Grillby finally let go, quietly chuckling, "My apologies. I might've gotten carried away."

"I liked that, so don't worry." You grinned.

Grillby smiled with you. "I'm glad."

 

×-♡-×

 

It was very late -- nearing 3AM -- but surprisingly, you didn't feel as exhausted as you felt when you arrived earlier in the evening. "Aren't you tired?" Grillby asked as he took a seat with you at the kitchen table. Clearly amused by this, he added, "You said your family made you work quite a lot today."

"Hey, _you're_ still awake too." You teased. "With everything that happened earlier, can you blame me for suddenly feeling pretty energetic? All that anxiety gave me a _lot_ of adrenaline to work with."

Grillby burst into a full laugh at this. Given mostly everyone had passed out hours prior, he didn't try to keep as quiet as he usually would. You blushed at the sound, knowingly watching him with a practically lovesick gaze -- _God_ he was gorgeous. "What a shame." He commented. "What will you do now?"

Out of all the thoughts that flashed in your mind, one spoke the loudest. "Go look for some mistletoe or something." You managed to say out loud, leaning your head in your arms on the table in an attempt to hide your goofy lovestruck expression. "Sans kinda knew about my plan, so I think he'd be super disappointed if the whole mistletoe thing didn't happen."

"Mistletoe?" Grillby questioned.

"Oh, do they not do that for Gyftmas?" You turned your head enough to peek at Grillby, who shook his head at your question. "Guess the holidays aren't _completely_ mirrored. Mistletoe is this little plant that a lot of people hang at doorways or hallways, and it basically means that--...that, uh..."

You blushed, suddenly realizing how abrupt this might come off as. Sitting up, you stammered, "It means...whenever two people end up underneath it, it means they have to...kiss..."

In darkness, Grillby's flames were much more obvious when they glowed a little brighter. "...Really now?"

"Yea. A-And I mean, if it's too much right now I understand! But I wouldn't be surprised if Sans keeps egging us until--"

"_____." Grillby stopped you, leaning a little closer. He smiled when you blushed, a sight that was only just barely visible due to both a lamp from the living room casting an extremely dim light into the kitchen, and the glow from Grillby himself. "...You don't need a silly tradition to make me kiss you."

You flushed. "R...Really?"

"Yes. Plus, I want to beat Sans to the punch. Imagine his reaction if we're casual about it."

It didn't take much from Grillby to make you laugh. "Alright, fair point. But, uhm... Are you sure you wanna do this right now?" You tried not to fidget.

"If _you_ are, then yes."

You were sure your eyes were shimmering, and you couldn't help but beam as Grillby continued to speak, though in a rather hushed tone as to prevent any possible eavesdroppers from catching on. "Don't think my...fondness towards you is new, _____. It was only until recently that I came to terms with it, though, but only because recently did I finally realize how...appreciated I feel in your presence."

He leaned closer, resting his forehead on yours while his cheeks began to glow blue again. "I find myself completely enamored with you, so to kiss you would be an honor, _____."

You smiled, your eyes now shining as a small tear pricked at the corner of one. "I feel the same with you."

Grillby carefully lifted his hand to cup your cheek. "Then... May I?"

You barely muttered a "yes", but you were already leaning in, so he attempted to meet you halfway. Gently, he pressed his nearly invisible lips to yours, slowly moving to grab your hand as well. Even through your closed eyes, you could see his glow getting brighter, as his hand squeezed yours and his glasses bumped your nose.

Neither of you noticed, let alone cared.

The kiss was soft and warm and everything you imagined it'd be, but what took you by surprise was the tingling sensation you felt when he pushed a little further. This elicited a very small noise out of you, which only spurred him on. His hand shifted to lace his fingers with yours, causing you to blush even deeper if that was possible.

After a short eternity, Grillby finally pulled away, though straying only a couple inches from your lips. Despite your lungs already begging to take a second to catch your breath, you leaned in for another, almost having to stand from your seat to do so. This took him by surprise, but your desperation made him return the act tenfold.

This felt good. This felt _right_.

As much as you wanted to push this a little further, you knew he might scold you (or even tease you) since you'd only been together for a few hours now. So, when you pulled away this time, you removed his hand from your cheek, swiftly intertwining your fingers with his. Grillby was glowing a quiet blue now, perhaps doing his best to keep his natural light under control so he wouldn't blind you.

How considerate. 

You smiled, muttering, "That was nice."

Grillby could only nod. While his silence was only natural for others, the fact that he's been rather chatty with you until now told you something that only amused you further: you've rendered him speechless.

Quite the feat.

 

×-♡-×

 

You only began to flutter awake when the sound of others talking was getting rather loud, as well as the smell of breakfast drifting into the living room. Of course Papyrus was the kind of guy to make breakfast for everyone after the party -- you knew this, which is why you stayed overnight. Many others did the same, as evidenced by the fact you couldn't sleep on the couch.

Unfortunately, that meant sleeping in the most uncomfortable recliner, which your spine was already screaming at you for doing. As you tried to sit up, you noticed the fire elemental leaning against the side of the recliner. You knew some monsters don't need to sleep, and Grillby was no exception. "Don't you get bored, always staying awake?" You tried to ask through a yawn.

Classy.

"Sometimes, yes." He confessed. "Not last night, however."

"Oh, did you finish the book?" You leaned against the side of the seat after shifting it back to its original position.

There was a moment, before his flames glowed a little brighter. "Not...particularly." He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. You instantly recognized the paper, blushing in response.

"You enjoyed my stupid little way of confessing _that_ much?"

"It's not stupid." Grillby looked over his shoulder to you. "To me, it isn't."

You decided not to argue. "If you say so." You shrugged it off, casually pressing a kiss to his cheek. Before you could even see his reaction, you got up and headed to the kitchen, flustering both him and yourself.

Leaning against the counter, you took a moment to compose yourself, observing Papyrus while a few other monsters were seated at the kitchen table. Due to...recent events, you couldn't stop the blush on your cheeks as the memory came back.

"hey kid." 

You looked over to Sans, smiling as you folded your arms. "Wow, you're awake? At _this_ time of day?" You teased.

"there's a first for everything." He shrugged. "speaking of which, how'd last night go? you're practically _glowing_."

"Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if you already knew, and you're just trying to make me say it."

"fair point." Sans chuckled, amused at how well you knew his antics. "but not this time. i figured you two would like your privacy, y'know?"

Though you didn't believe him completely, you still smiled. "Yea."

Just as Grillby stepped into the kitchen, Sans stopped him without even looking his way. "wait a second." He told him, before moving to grab your arm. He pulled you over to Grillby, letting go of your arm and taking a step back. "alright, go ahead."

"What are you--?"

Glancing up revealed your answer. There, hung at the doorway between the kitchen and living room, was a small piece of mistletoe. Despite how you saw this coming since last night, the thought of kissing Grillby in front of damn near everyone was...a little nerve-wracking. It's not that you were ashamed, but...c'mon, you've only been dating him since last night! What if you hadn't already kissed, _then_ what would he think?

Your thoughts skidded to a halt when a warm hand grasped yours. Looking back to his eyes, Grillby gave a small nod, indicating his consent. You both saw this coming, yet the blushes that adorned both his and your cheeks were nothing but genuine.

Gently cupping your cheek like before, Grillby leaned in to give you a kiss. The gesture certainly wasn't as passionate as last night's were, but the tingling feeling on your lips as he pushed a little further was enough to tune out the teasing and hollers. He even squeezed your hand for comfort.

When he pulled away, he couldn't help but smile a little at how your eyes seemed to sparkle afterwards. "How cute." Grillby muttered, just quietly enough for only you to hear. You blushed a bit deeper, trying not to grin like an idiot.

"'bout time." Sans chuckled, his voice finally grounding you after spending what felt like forever on cloud nine.

"We've already done this, y'know." You looked to him, almost laughing. "Last night, while everyone was passed out."

Sans shared a glance with Grillby, before laughing again. "wow, you two certainly moved quick. only dating for...what, a few hours before then? you two are _whipped_."

"Says the one that _put us_ in this situation!" You stepped towards him, gesturing to all of Grillby and the mistletoe hung over him. "And it still hasn't even been 24 hours!"

Sans shrugged. "seemed fitting, 'specially since the two of you never shut up about each other till now."

You flushed, and the quiet roar of fire you heard indicated Grillby must've done the same. Sans laughed harder, adding, "don't get all _fired_ up over it, geez."

Papyrus proceeded to scold Sans, both for his pun and his relentless teasing. Meanwhile, Grillby stepped back to your side, quietly taking your hand in his again. You didn't comment on this, but the blush you emitted was enough to elicit a small chuckle from him.

After breakfast, most of the monsters decided to go back outside to play in the snow, now that it was bright outside. You couldn't stand the blinding whiteness of fresh snow, however, so you prompted to stay inside. Grillby wished to do the same, saying that too much snow is dangerous for him due to what it's made of.

Fair enough.

Since every channel the skeletons had available were playing Christmas specials, you just decided on the most tolerable one and leaned back into the couch. You noticed Grillby glance to the kitchen and front door for a moment, before saying, "Everyone's out, it seems."

Again, he's _much_ more chatty around you, but only when it's _just_ you. The realization made your chest tighten, but you played it off. "Seems so."

"Would you care to humor me, then?"

"What do you mean?"

Grillby stood, offering his hand. Though you weren't sure what he was planning, you still accepted his gesture and stood with him. Gently, he led you out of the living room, to the kitchen. He let go of your hand, and left your side to search around the skeletons' cabinets and fridge.

"What are you--?"

"Here they are."

He soon rejoined your side, handing you a few...cookie cutters? "It's a shame this Gyftmas party doesn't have the appropriate sweets, don't you think?" Grillby inquired. "Would you like to help?"

You examined the small frames of either plastic or metal, ranging from the classic gingerbread man, to a tree, to a snowflake. Giggling, you answered, "I think I'd like that."

 

×-♡-×

 

It wasn't until that evening that everyone left, including you and the fire elemental. Since you drove to the party, you offered to drive him to the bar, where his living quarters was just upstairs from the establishment. Even though the bar was just down the street, he still appreciated the gesture.

As you pulled up to the bar, you couldn't help but think of something: now it really was _just_ the two of you. 

A small tap at your window snapped you from your thoughts. Did Grillby already get out of the car? 

He tapped again, almost expectantly. Did he...want you to get out too? Why?

Though unsure of his intentions, you stepped out of the car after turning it off. Turning to him, you raised an eyebrow in question. "What, you want me to walk you to the door?"

"...Perhaps." He hesitantly reached out for your hand. "I must confess, I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye yet."

"But you'll see me tomorrow!" You giggled, walking with him to the bar's front door. 

"But you don't have work...tomorrow..." Grillby went to remark, but the realization dawned on him. When he looked to you, you simply shot him a quick wink.

Once the two of you were standing at the few stairs that led up to the front door, you shifted from one foot to the other as Grillby moved to unlock the door. "Well... I had a really good time." You smiled through your blushing.

He turned back to you, softly smiling. "As did I, love."

You couldn't stop your grin from widening, your blush growing deeper. "Yea..."

Grillby openly chuckled. "Come here,"

Stepping closer, he wrapped his arm around your waist, using his other hand to cup your cheek. He didn't lean in to kiss you, however, instead simply leaning his forehead to yours. "Merry Christmas, _____." He whispered.

"Happy Gyftmas."

With another chuckle, Grillby finally pressed his lips to yours.

Gentle, as always.

**Author's Note:**

> again, happy holidays and a happy new year! I'm gonna go drown in giant chocolate-covered marshmallows now,,


End file.
